October 23, 2007
Media Contact: Amy Wolf
(615) 322-NEWS
Amy.wolf@vanderbilt.edu
Winners Reveal Unique Business Solutions at First-Ever Human Capital Case Competition
Vanderbilt Hosts Event to Address Human Capital Challenges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Human capital solutions solve business problems. That was the key theme behind the nation’s first-ever MBA-level competition focusing on
human capital challenges held Oct. 19-20 at the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.
First place went to Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management/School of Industrial and Labor Relations, second place went to Northwestern University’s
Kellogg School of Management, and the UCLA Anderson School of Management team won third place. Ten high quality teams were chosen to compete out of 24
business schools who applied.
“The winning teams demonstrated that there are two things all human capital solutions must have—an elegant human resources design coupled with a strong
business case,” said Vanderbilt professor and adviser for Owen’s Leadership Development Program Neta Moye.
The teams were judged by executives from General Electric and Deloitte Consulting LLP (Deloitte Consulting). GE and Deloitte Consulting provided the support
and sponsorship for the competition, including the prizes for the winning teams.
"The first National MBA Human Capital Case Competition was a ground-breaking success. Scores of top talent from prestigious MBA programs used human
capital solutions to tackle complex business problems," said Geoff Rothermel, senior manager within Deloitte Consulting’s human capital practice.
The competition pitted student groups from top graduate schools across the country against each other to address a real-world human capital issue and present
solutions relevant in today's fast-paced global economy. This year’s challenge was to analyze the competitive and labor market challenges being faced by a
global legal services firm and make recommendations regarding talent management practices and their implementation.
“It was an exciting process to observe the students take all of the complex elements of the case and quickly crystallize them into a strategy and recommended
approach—exactly what we do every day as human resources practitioners,” said Nancy Abbott, vice president of human resources for GE Commercial Finance.
The Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is taking a lead in the study of human capital. Owen believes that it is imperative students make
decisions regarding employees as important as decisions regarding all other business resources. That’s why Owen is elevating the study of human capital to a
decision science, on the same level with marketing, finance and operations. For more information on next year’s National MBA Human Capital Case Competition,
og onto
www.humancapitalcasecompetition.com.
The Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report,
Financial Times and Forbes. For more news about Owen, visit
www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.
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